Multiple northern Gold Coast women targeted by ‘creep’ in high-vis

An alleged serial “creep” wearing high-vis is terrorising Gold Coast women by exposing himself in a string of incidents believed to involve the same man. He is still on the loose.

A SUSPECTED serial sexual predator is terrorising women across the northern Gold Coast, exposing himself in front of mothers with small children.

In what victims describe as the same “disgusting grub”, a man fitting the same description has been approaching multiple women walking alone at suburbs including Ormeau, Hope Island and Helensvale, creating fear among the community.

A 31-year-old Ormeau mother of young twins was on her morning walk with her children in their pram along Lynbrook Ave on Monday morning when a man emerged from behind the bushes and exposed himself.

The man has approached women walking alone, in pairs and also with young children in tow.

The frightened woman said she was in utter “disbelief”.

“There were no other people around and all I could think about was getting as far away from him as quickly as possible,” said the woman, who wished to remain anonymous.

“I thought he might attempt to approach me, or worse pull me in to his van.

“He started masturbating and kept at it for a few minutes as I walked past. I tried not to look in his direction or make eye contact.”

She said the man drove a white van and parked it a few metres away, but she was unable to see his rego number.

She described the man as caucasian, 30-40 years of age, wearing a fluoro work shirt and a cap with a cigarette in his mouth.

“This incident has made me hesitant to walk alone, and I will be avoiding isolated paths in the future, only sticking to main roads,” she said.

“It is sad this individual’s actions have scared the community and made parents think twice about taking their children out for a walk, especially during this time of isolation when we all look forward to daily exercise.”

But this horrifying display was far from an isolated incident.
A man matching the same description has been indecently exposing himself at parks in the Hope Island and Helensvale area, reportedly on multiple occasions.

On April 21, a mother and her young daughter near Robert Dalley Park at Helensvale were also flashed.

Victims hope the man is caught and prosecuted for his disgusting crimes.

The man who appeared to be in his late 30s or early 40s was also wearing a high vis work shirt. He also pulled his pants down to expose himself to the two women.

In another disgusting act, Hope Island local Mackenzie Brown, 18, was flashed by a “disgusting creep” on April 29 at the Salt Water dog park on Helensvale Road. She described the same man with an “olive complexion”, wearing a high vis orange shirt and walking a large white dog with dark spots.

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She said the man flashed her, played with himself and asked her if she liked what she saw after asking her for the time.

“I started crying, simply because I didn’t really know what else to do,” she said.

“This event hasn’t exactly revolutionised how safe I feel on the streets – it confirms what most young women are already conditioned to expect and fear: if you’re out late, something will happen.

“I’m hoping police will catch this man, as I know he is a repeat offender.

“We need to set a precedent: it isn’t women and children who should be afraid of walking at night – but men who should be afraid of flashing these women and children.”

Queensland Police have been conducting patrols and doorknocks in the area in attempts to catch the grub.

Police are aware of the four reported incidents and are investigating.

“Concentrated and intelligence driven patrols have been performed of all the reported areas as well as doorknocks conducted to gain any further information to assist police investigations,” a Queensland Police spokesperson said.

“Police are continuing to target these areas with patrols and are appealing for any members of the public who might see any suspicious activity or have any information about any of the incidents to contact police.”